ONSET OF AGENCY BANKING IN KENYA

You can now beat the long bank hall queue by banking at banks agents sprouting all over in town following the CBK Guidelines on agency banking

Here are some of important definitions:

“Agent” means an entity that has been contracted by an institution and approved by the Central
Bank to provide the services of the institution on behalf of the institution in the manner specified in
this Guideline.

“Agent banking business” means the business carried out by an agent on behalf of an institution as
permitted under this guideline.

Here are some of activities the agent can perform on behalf of the principal:

1. Cash deposit and cash withdrawal.
2. Cash disbursement and cash repayment of loans.
3. Cash payment of bills.
4. Cash payment of retirement and social benefits.
5. Cash payment of salaries.
6. Transfer of funds.
7. Balance Inquiry.
8. Generation and issuance of mini bank statements.
9. Collection of documents in relation to account opening, loan application, credit
10. and debit card application.
11. Collection of debit and credit cards.
12. Agent mobile phone banking services.
13. Cheque book request.
14. Cheque book collection by customers.
15. Collection of bank mail/correspondence for customers.

Here are the activities the agent is prohibited to engage in:

An agent shall not

1. Operate or carry out an electronic transaction when there is communication failure in the system-that is the core banking system of the principal bank.
2.  Carry out a transaction when a transactional receipt or acknowledgement cannot be generated.
   Charge any fees directly to the customers.
3. Carry out agent banking business when, in the opinion of the institution the initial commercial activity has ceased or is significantly diminished. The commercial activity should be viable and able to financially support the agent banking business.
4. Offer any type of guarantee in favour of any institution or customer.
5. Offer banking services on its own accord (provide on its own account banking services similar to those provided by it under an agency contract).
6. Continue with the agency business when it has a proven criminal record involving fraud, dishonesty, integrity or any other financial impropriety.
7. Provide, render or hold itself out to be providing or rendering any banking service which is not specifically permitted in the contract.
8. Open accounts, grant loans or carry out any appraisal function for purposes of opening an account or granting of a loan or any other facility except as may be permitted by any other written law to which the agent is subject.
   Undertake cheque deposit and encashment of cheques.
9. Transact in foreign currency.
10. Provide cash advances.
11. Be run or managed by an institution’s employee or its associate.
12. Subcontract another entity to carry out agent banking on its behalf.